'If You Want to Eat a Red Apple' becomes 1st Korean winner of BolognaRagazzi Opera Prima Award
South Korean author Jin Joo and photographer Lee Ga-hee’s children's picture book, "If You Want to Eat a Red Apple," from Finger Publishing, has won the Opera Prima at the prestigious BolognaRagazzi Awards, becoming the first Korean author to win in the category.
The picture book with images taken with a film camera captures moments of childhood against a backdrop of distinctly Korean elements, such as old linoleum floors, mother-of-pearl cabinets and bus stops in the countryside.
Lee photographed her two children, while the writer wove a warm narrative around a growing apple tree, symbolizing family bonds.
"This award was made possible by the passion for taking on a new challenge and the support I received. I will continue to cherish this energy and stay dedicated to my work," Lee said in a statement.
The BolognaRagazzi Awards, established in 1966, are presented annually at the Bologna Children's Book Fair to outstanding children's books published worldwide. The book fair runs from March 31 to April 3 this year.
The awards span five main categories: fiction, nonfiction, Opera Prima (for debut works by authors and illustrators), comics and toddlers. Each category selects one winner and two to three honorable mentions.
In other award results, "Star Papa," written and illustrated by Han Dam-hee and published by Book Gorae, won for Cross Media Projects at the Cross Media Awards, which acknowledges the best publishing projects to have expanded their narrative universe to encompass other media.
From a farmer who grows stars, the immersive, interactive video experience projects children into the world of the picture book, where they can explore the story through tactile interactions, voice activation and sound effects.
Meanwhile, Korea’s BIR Publishing has been shortlisted for the Bologna Prize for the best children’s publishers of the year, an award that highlights excellent publishing houses from each of the six continents. The final selection is to be announced at the book fair.
hwangdh@heraldcorp.com
